{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "squirrel",
  "name": "Squirrel",
  "scientificName": "Sciurus carolinensis",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "Squirrels are agile tree-climbing rodents best known from the eastern gray squirrel, a familiar resident of woodlands, parks, and gardens across North America and much of Europe. They are mostly herbivorous, feeding on nuts, seeds, and fruit, and famously bury food caches to survive winter. Adults typically measure 23 to 30 cm (9 to 12 in) in body length plus a long bushy tail, and wild gray squirrels usually live around 6 years. Squirrels as a family live nearly worldwide.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Mammalia",
    "order": "Rodentia",
    "family": "Sciuridae",
    "genus": "Sciurus"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 0.55,
    "lengthM": 0.28,
    "topSpeedKmh": 32,
    "lifespanYears": 6
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Sciurus carolinensis"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Omnivore (mostly nuts, seeds, fruit)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Woodlands, parks, and gardens"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "About 6 years in the wild"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "400–700 g (0.9–1.5 lb)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Up to 32 km/h (20 mph)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Woodlands, parks, and gardens across North America and Europe (the eastern gray squirrel; squirrels as a family live nearly worldwide).",
    "continents": [
      "North America",
      "Europe"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Sciurus carolinensis.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Sciurus%20carolinensis&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Sciurus carolinensis. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sciurus_carolinensis/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Wikipedia — Squirrel.",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_gray_squirrel"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/squirrel/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/squirrel/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}